Description
This creamy and tangy vegan cream cheese is a delicious plant-based spread made from soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. It offers a rich and smooth texture perfect for bagels, sandwiches, or as a dip. Easy to prepare with simple ingredients, this vegan cream cheese is a healthy dairy-free alternative that you’ll love.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegan Cream Cheese Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water (more if needed)
Instructions
- Soak Cashews: Drain and rinse the cashews that have been soaked for 4 hours to soften them, which helps achieve the smooth texture of the cream cheese.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and water into a blender or food processor for blending.
- Blend Until Smooth: Blend the mixture until it turns creamy and smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides if needed for even blending.
- Adjust Consistency: If the mixture seems too thick, gradually add more water one tablespoon at a time while blending until you reach your desired creamy consistency.
- Season to Taste: Taste the cream cheese and adjust the seasoning as desired by adding more salt, lemon juice, or garlic powder to suit your preference.
- Refrigerate: Transfer the vegan cream cheese to a container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld and the texture to firm up.
Notes
- Soaking cashews for at least 4 hours or overnight softens them, ensuring the cream cheese blends smoothly.
- Use a high-speed blender for best results to achieve creamy texture without gritty bits.
- Store the cream cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Adjust thickness by varying the amount of water to suit your preference for spreading or dipping.
- For a tangier flavor, increase the lemon juice slightly or add a splash of apple cider vinegar.
